Daily Current Affairs (29 – Aug – 25)

Daily Current Affairs  (29 – Aug – 25)

1. UN Declares Famine in Gaza –

• The United Nations has officially declared a famine in Gaza, marking the first famine in West Asia, with over half a million people facing extreme hunger due to conflict and restricted access to food.
• Famine: The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) defines Famine as a situation in which at least one in five households has an extreme lack of food and face starvation and destitution, resulting in extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition and death.
• IPC Phase 5 is the highest phase of the IPC Acute Food Insecurity scale, and is attributed when an area has at least 20% of households, acute malnutrition in at least 30% of children under five, and mortality of at least two per 10,000 people daily.
• Cause:Sharp escalation of Israel-Hamas conflict, massive displacement, and severe restriction of humanitarian and commercial food supplies.

Gaza Strip

• The Gaza Strip is a coastal territory in West Asia, approximately 41 km long and 10 km-wide territory, situated northeast of the Sinai Peninsula.
• It borders Israel to the north and east, Egypt to the southwest, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.
• The Gaza Strip remains a strategically important and densely populated enclave, central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with ongoing humanitarian, political, and security challenges.

2. The Union Cabinet has approved the restructuring and extension of the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, until 31st March 2030 with an aim to benefit 1.15 crore street vendors, including 50 lakh new beneficiaries –

• PM SVANidhi Scheme:Launched by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in 2020. It aims to support street vendors affected by the Covid-19 pandemic by providing working capital loans to restart their businesses and promoting financial inclusion and digital transactions.
• PM SVANidhi offers interest subsidy on timely loan repayment, cashback for digital transactions, and eligibility for enhanced next tranche of loans.
• ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’ component under PM SVANidhi provides social security benefits to street vendors.
• As of July 2025, over 96 lakh loans worth Rs 13,797 crore were disbursed to 68 lakh street vendors.
• The scheme won the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration (2023) for innovation and the Silver Award for Government Process Re-engineering (2022) for digital transformation. 

3. Impacts of India’s Coal Sector –

• India’s coal sector remains vital for power generation despite a shift towards renewable energy. Recently, experts brought into light the urgent need to assess coal-bearing areas not only for environmental damage but also for health impacts on local populations.
• A recent report based on National Green Tribunal (NGT) cases reveals ongoing challenges in regulating coal mining and thermal power operations. This knowledge base summarises key findings and recommendations for sustainable coal management.

Coal’s Role in India’s Energy Mix

• Coal and lignite accounted for 73% of India’s power generation in 2022-23. Projections indicate coal will still provide around 50% of electricity by 2031-32. This puts stress on coal’s continuing dominance despite government efforts to expand non-fossil fuel sources. The sector’s long-term presence necessitates responsible environmental and social governance.

4. Export Promotion Mission –

• India is set to launch a Rs 25,000 crore Export Promotion Mission (EPM) from 2025 to 2031. This flagship initiative aims to support exporters amid rising global trade challenges, including the recent hike in US tariffs on Indian goods. The mission focuses on easing credit access and enhancing export capabilities, especially for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Context and Objectives

• The EPM was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 to ensure broad-based, inclusive, and sustainable export growth. It seeks to address key bottlenecks that Indian exporters face.
• The mission intends to shield exporters from uncertainties such as the US doubling tariffs on Indian imports to 50% from August 2025. This tariff hike affects sectors like textiles, chemicals, leather, and footwear.

5. Exercise Bright Star 2025 –

• India is deploying over 700 personnel from its Armed Forces and Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff to participate in Exercise Bright Star 2025.
• Held in Egypt from August 28 to September 10, this 19th edition is among the largest multinational military drills in the Middle East and North Africa. The event includes 43 countries, with 13 sending troops and 30 acting as observers. This exercise marks India’s growing role in global military cooperation and regional security.

Background

• Initiated in 1980 as a bilateral drill between Egypt and the United States, Bright Star has evolved into a major multilateral event. It is hosted biennially by Egypt alongside the US. The exercise is conducted under the US Central Command’s responsibility and aims to enhance regional stability, military cooperation, and interoperability among partner nations.

MCQ Quiz

Q1. Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project is located in which country ?

1. a) Bangladesh
2. b) Nepal
3. c) Bhutan
4. d) Myanmar

Q2. What are the two sub-schemes under the Export Promotion Mission ?

1. a) Niryat Bandhu & Niryat Mitra
2. b) Niryat Protsahan & Niryat Disha
3. c) Niryat Sudhar & Niryat Vikas
4. d) Niryat Margdarshan & Niryat Samarthan

Q3. Exercise Bright Star is a multilateral exercise hosted by which country ?

1. a) Egypt
2. b) Russia
3. c) Iran
4. d) Vietnam

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding Article 21 of the Indian Constitution:

1. It guarantees the right to life and personal liberty to both Indian citizens and foreigner.
2. The Supreme Court has interpreted Article 21 to include non-citizens.
3. Article 21 is not applicable to individuals arrested under the Foreigners Act.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1. a) 1 only
2. b) 2 only
3. c) 1 and 2 only
4. d) 2 and 3 only

Explanation-

• Statement 1 –correct: Article 21 states, “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.”
  The term “person”includes citizens and non-citizens, including foreigners, refugees, and even illegal immigrants.
• Statement 2 – Correct: The Supreme Court, in cases like Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978) and Louis De Raedt v. Union of India (1991), affirmed that Article 21 applies to all persons, not just Indian citizens.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect:Even if someone is arrested under the Foreigners Act, they are still entitled to procedural safeguards and fundamental rights under Article 21.

Q5. Which of the following government initiatives is correctly matched with its objective ?

1. a) 1and 2 only
2. b) 1 and 3 only
3. c) 2, 3 and 4 only
4. d) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation-

• PM SHRI: Model schools implementing NEP 2020
• DIKSHA: Digital platform for teacher training & FLN content
• ULLAS: Adult literacy/lifelong learning (NOT vocational training)
• PM e-Vidya: Multi-modal digital learning initiative